UP's minority affairs minister, the ruling Samajwadi Party's Muslim face and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's long-time trusted lieutenant Azam Khan has once again triggered off a monumental controversy by demanding that the Taj Mahal should be handed over to the UP Sunni Waqf Board which manages Muslim places of worship and burial grounds.
What is Azam Khan's line of reasoning?
He says that the Taj is a mausoleum where the bodies of Muslim 'badshah' Shah Jahan, who got the magnificent structure built, and his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal are buried. "Every mausoleum is a waqf so Taj is also waqf property." He has demanded that 'namaz' be allowed in the main structure five times a day on all days, and that the income from the Taj be spent on the education of Muslim children.
What is the present status?
Namaz is allowed only on Friday, the day the Taj remains closed, in a mosque just outside the main structure. The matter of allowing namaz every day is pending before the Supreme Court.
Is Azam Khan serious?
Khan is known for his frequent outbursts and rather indiscreet utterances. This is seen as another one, and this is not the first time he has raised this issue. Had he been serious, he could have taken the matter to court.
Then, is he playing politics?
Political watchers feel he is only playing to the Muslim gallery at a time when the nation seems to be chanting 'Namo Namo'. It's also seen as a gambit to escalate tensions with the Centre in the build-up to the 2017 UP Assembly election.
What is the official position?
Union Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma has dubbed Khan's idea "ridiculous", saying it's a national monument, and that it cannot and should not be labeled as a Hindu or Muslim building. Agra region ASI director NK Pathak says the monument is under the control of the ASI like the 265 other monuments in west UP which are 100 years or older.
What is the numbers game at the Taj?
Footfall: About 12,000 per day on an average. Goes up to 50,000 on some days. It was 60 lakh in 2013, including about eight lakh foreigners.
Entry fees: Rs 20 for domestic tourists and Rs 750 for foreigners. For night viewing (on specified days), it's Rs 510 for domestic and remains the same for foreign visitors.
Earning: Rs 20 cr per annum, which is the highest for any monument in the country, through entry fees only.
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